Help for consistently feeding double-sided, heavy, or thick papers in your printer.

Please note that inkjet printers (even the same models) are not all the same. One may feed better than another. Don't expect every printer you buy to perform the same.

Double-sided Paper Note - Both sides of double-sided paper can be photo printed as they are both coated. The coating makes each side very smooth and for an inkjet printer, this may present misfeeds in some printer models. It is important that you keep your printer maintained by cleaning the feed rollers after each box of matte paper you use! Start with tip #1.

Tip #1 - Clean Your Printer

Properly maintain your printer. If you use the printer often, use cotton art papers, and especially 2-sided inkjet papers, you should clean the feed mechanism often.

Do not push the paper tray guide up against the paper. Leave no more than 1/4" gap between the guide and the paper.

Incorrect

Correct!

Tip # 3

Place a stiff card stock or chip board as the bottom sheet in the feed tray. This helps keep your paper upright and closer to the feed rollers.

Note: Make sure to set your print count so that the printer does not feed the board.

Tip # 4

When using card stock, put no more than about 5 sheets in the feed tray at a time. You should experiement with the number between 1 and 5 to see what your printer likes best.

Tip # 5

Fan your paper before feeding placing in the printer. Simply fanning the paper will better separate the sheets, release any excess coating or paper dust, and introduces a little air in between each sheet.

Tip #6

Curl the edge of the paper paper that feeds first upward slightly just before feeding.

The slight curl will press the paper upwards toward the feed rollers and may make the process easier.

Tip #7 - Use your Printer's Heavy Paper Features

Most printers have a software based control to move the print head up or down to adjust for paper thickness.

The ability to raise the print head comes in handy if you've seen these problems:

Pronounced lines in an image

Scuff marks

Ink splotches - particularily on the edges of paper

Review the screen shots below and refer to your printer's manual for more help on the topic.